Recently the Louisiana Center for Afterschool Learning was celebrating Lights On America, a national celebration dedicated to the academic and intellectual growth that is cultivated in the nation’s after school programs the 10.2 million children that participating throughout the nation.However, less than 1 percent of these children come from Louisiana, with 100,355 kids participating in after school and 173,749 of Louisiana youth being left alone or unsupervised during after school hours. The numbers highlight a national trend that includes Louisiana, for every child enrolled in an after school program, two other children are probably on a waiting list.The ratio underscores the dilemma many Louisiana families face, a long work week with limited after school options. According to the Gallup recent study, the average American work week is now 47 hours, and that includes half of salaried full-time employees working more than 50 hours each week. The best thing we can do for these hard working Americans is to ensure that they have quality after school options, which ensures that child is in safe place with academic enrichment.The community impact of after school programs have been proven throughout the past decade. While 80 percent of juvenile crime occurs between 2 and 6 p.m. according to the FBI statistics, after school programs offer parents a safe solution. This solution includes the documented school benefits with after school participants showing a 65 percent increase in school attendance and 63 percent decrease in behavioral incidents. So if you are one of those parents on a waiting list, speak up and let your community leaders know about the demand for after school in Shreveport.— Andrew GanucheauBaton Rouge, Posted online with Shreveport Times